14
May

08:00 AM PST

Clinical Operations

Name: Clinical Operations & Clinical Trial Supply Chain Strategy Meeting West Coast 2026
Start: 2026-01-01T08:00
End: 2025-05-14T18:00
Location: Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

&

Clinical Trial Supply Chain

Strategy Meeting West Coast USA 2026

Jumpstart Clinical Operations on Patient Centricity, Innovation and Efficiency

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

A MEETING EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER

Fresh Clinical Operations Insights

Tired of the same conference experience? Real discussions and genuine networking are often promised, but not always delivered.rnrnProventa International’s Clinical Strategy Meetings are designed to avoid the pitfalls of a typical conference, by providing the right environment to make those important connections through interactive roundtable discussions, exclusive networking and keynote panel debates. Join Clinical Operations professionals from across the West Coast in San Diego, to discover new insights and take your company’s mission to the next level.

What makes our strategy meetings unique?

Roundtable Discussions

Intimate discussions led by renowned industry experts. Have your voice heard and debate alongside like-minded life science executives.

Unrivalled Networking

With senior delegation from big pharma and innovative biotech from across the West Coast, you can network with peers from different locations, all in one place.

Personalised Agenda

Choose the topics that matter to you. Reserve your place at the roundtable discussions and ensure your whole day delivers the insights you need to hear.

Solutions to your Problems

We’ve partnered with the best solution providers to solve your biggest challenges. Engage in pre-arranged, private meetings to address your specific needs and find a tangible solution.

Industry Researched Topics

We guarantee our agenda is up-to-date and mission critical because its designed by you. We speak to our extended network of senior decision makers to ensure the most important topics are discussed.

Senior Decision Makers

The entire strategy meeting is specifically tailored to the needs and challenges of senior life science professionals. Discover how your peers are dealing with the same challenges as you.

Our Facilitators

Our panel of facilitators play a key role in shaping the agenda for the day. See who will be bringing their expertise to the table at Clinical Operations Strategy Meetings.

Antonieta Sosa

Vice President, Clinical Operations Protagonist Therapeutics

Carolina Caffaro

Vice President, CMC Janux Therapeutics

David Crean

Managing Partner & Partner Cardiff Advisory LLC & 1004 Venture Partners

Elie Arslan

Head, Quality, Principal Investigator and Program Management Cellics Therapeutics, Inc.

Gajanan Bhat

Senior Vice President, Development Team Lead TORL Biotherapeutics, LLC

George Ng

Chief Executive Officer Processa Pharmaceuticals

George Ng is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur in the life sciences industry, currently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director at Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) and as a partner at PENG Life Science Ventures (PENG LSV). Previously, he was President, COO, and Board Director at Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE: CLDI), where he led the company’s successful public listing.
Mr. Ng co-founded Scilex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLX), guiding it through product development, clinical trials, FDA approval, $140 million in financing, and its commercial launch and sale. His leadership career also includes senior executive roles at Sorrento Therapeutics, BioDelivery Sciences, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, and Alpharma (now part of Pfizer), contributing to multiple successful drug product launches.
Before entering industry, Mr. Ng was a partner at two Am Law 200 firms, where he founded and led a national life sciences practice. He has served on the boards of several biotech companies and is a frequent speaker on legal, regulatory, and business topics.
Mr. Ng holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame School of Law and a B.A.S. in Biochemistry and Economics from the University of California, Davis.

Joseph Shan

Vice President, Clinical Operations Adcentrx Therapeutics

Joseph Stalder

Vice President, Program Management Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Jacqui Blem

Vice President, Clinical Operations Wugen

Kimberly Ma

Senior Vice President, Clinical Development & Operations Abdera Therapeutics

Mehran Moghaddam

CEO OROX Biosciences, Inc.

Matthew Spear

Chief Development Officer / Chief Medical Officer Denovo Biopharma

Dr. Spear has been working in oncology and gene therapy research and development for over 30 years. He received a B.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University and an M.D. degree from Stanford University. Post-graduate training was in the Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard University program. He has served as an Associate Professor on the faculty of the USC Keck School of Medicine, and the UCSD Medical School / UCSD Cancer Center where he managed a clinical practice, drug discovery/gene therapy research, and clinical trial programs for cancer. Dr. Spear led multiple oncology clinical development programs at Pfizer. He subsequently served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice-President at Nereus Pharmaceuticals, followed by Head of Oncology and Head of Biotherapeutics at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, then as a Vice-President at Incyte and Sangamo Therapeutics, and Chief Medical Officer at Poseida Therapeutics developing multiple CAR-T cell and gene therapy products. He is currently Chief Development Officer / Chief Medical Officer at Denovo Biopharma. He has also served as a CIRM CAR-T cell principal investigator, NIH / NCI study section, CPRIT grant review panel, biotechnology and pharmaceutical advisory boards, IRB/SRC, and scientific journal editorial review committees related to cancer and gene therapy, as well as authoring numerous scientific papers and patent applications.
CAR-T cell, RMAT, Gene Therapy, Gene Editing, AAV, HSV, transposon, hemophilia, Oncology, Hematology, NHL, myeloma, AML, MDS, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, GBM, H&N cancer, sarcoma, ovarian cancer, Oncolytic, Epigenetic, Biomarkers, Companion Diagnostics. Small Molecules, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Immunotherapy, Vaccine, Antibody, Phage Display, sickle-cell, thalassemia, MPS I&II, MEK, PARP, CDK, VEGFR, Angiogenesis, VDA, HDAC, Proteosome, PI3K, BRD, JAK, PIM, FGFR, WT1, lysine-specific demethylase, OTC

Tara Lehner

Vice President, Clinical Operations INmune Bio Inc.

First name	Last name	Job title	Company name	Photo URL	Bio Position
Antonieta	Sosa	Vice President, Clinical Operations	Protagonist Therapeutics	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Antonieta-Sosa.jpg
Carolina	Caffaro	Vice President, CMC	Janux Therapeutics	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/avatar.jpg
David	Crean	Managing Partner & Partner	Cardiff Advisory LLC & 1004 Venture Partners	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/David-H.-Crean.jpg	David H. Crean is a distinguished executive with over 30 years of experience across the life sciences and healthcare sectors with roles in strategic biopharma, private equity, venture capital, and investment banking. His career journey is a unique blend of scientific knowledge, business savvy, and financial leadership, which has earned him a reputation as a mentor, investor and dealmaker. Dr. Crean currently serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Cardiff Advisory LLC, an M&A advisory firm, and is a Venture Partner at 1004 Venture Partners, a healthcare investment fund. He holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics and an M.S. in Oncology from the State University of New York Buffalo, as well as an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University.
Elie	Arslan	Head, Quality, Principal Investigator and Program Management	Cellics Therapeutics, Inc.	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Elie-Arslan.jpg	Compliance driven, highly successful Quality leader, with over 21 years of extensive experience in Quality in Biopharmaceuticals, Biologics, and Medical Devices. I am comprehensively knowledgeable and experienced in GxP (GMP, GLP and GCP), with an MBA and a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. Elie oversees various Quality and Regulatory responsibilities and thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment. Elie has 12 years of CMO experience, including experience in releasing drug substances, drug products, aseptic filling operations for clinical trials to commercial automated large-scale production, experience small molecules, large molecules, oncology and gene therapy. Elie successfully hosted FDA, CA FDB and QP inspections for PAI and routine Quality System inspections since 2015.
Gajanan	Bhat	Senior Vice President, Development Team Lead	TORL Biotherapeutics, LLC	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Gajanan-Bhat.jpg
George	Ng	Chief Executive Officer	Processa Pharmaceuticals	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/George-Ng.jpg	George Ng is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur in the life sciences industry, currently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director at Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) and as a partner at PENG Life Science Ventures (PENG LSV). Previously, he was President, COO, and Board Director at Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE: CLDI), where he led the company’s successful public listing. Mr. Ng co-founded Scilex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLX), guiding it through product development, clinical trials, FDA approval, $140 million in financing, and its commercial launch and sale. His leadership career also includes senior executive roles at Sorrento Therapeutics, BioDelivery Sciences, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, and Alpharma (now part of Pfizer), contributing to multiple successful drug product launches. Before entering industry, Mr. Ng was a partner at two Am Law 200 firms, where he founded and led a national life sciences practice. He has served on the boards of several biotech companies and is a frequent speaker on legal, regulatory, and business topics. Mr. Ng holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame School of Law and a B.A.S. in Biochemistry and Economics from the University of California, Davis.
Joseph	Shan	Vice President, Clinical Operations	Adcentrx Therapeutics	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Joseph-Shan.jpg	Joseph (Joe) Shan, M.P.H., VP, Clinical Operations at Adcentrx Therapeutics, has nearly 30 years of clinical experience in biopharma and medical device companies. Nearly 25 years were focused on clinical development of oncology therapeutics, including radiopharmaceuticals, small molecules, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and cellular therapy. Prior to Adcentrx, Joe held leadership roles in Clinical Development Operations at Mosaic ImmunoEngineering, MEI Pharma, Elevar Therapeutics, Kiadis Pharma (formerly CytoSen Therapeutics) and was VP, Clinical & Regulatory Affairs and a corporate officer of Peregrine Pharmaceuticals for nearly a decade. Mr. Shan received his M.P.H. from George Washington University and B.S. from UCLA
Joseph	Stalder	Vice President, Program Management	Zentalis Pharmaceuticals	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Joseph-Stalder.jpg
Jacqui	Blem	Vice President, Clinical Operations	Wugen	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jacqui-Blem.jpg
Kimberly	Ma	Senior Vice President, Clinical Development & Operations	Abdera Therapeutics	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Kimberly-Ma.jpg
Mehran	Moghaddam	CEO	OROX Biosciences, Inc.	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mehran-F.-Moghaddam.jpg
Matthew	Spear	Chief Development Officer / Chief Medical Officer	Denovo Biopharma	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Matthew-Spear.jpg	Dr. Spear has been working in oncology and gene therapy research and development for over 30 years. He received a B.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University and an M.D. degree from Stanford University. Post-graduate training was in the Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard University program. He has served as an Associate Professor on the faculty of the USC Keck School of Medicine, and the UCSD Medical School / UCSD Cancer Center where he managed a clinical practice, drug discovery/gene therapy research, and clinical trial programs for cancer. Dr. Spear led multiple oncology clinical development programs at Pfizer. He subsequently served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice-President at Nereus Pharmaceuticals, followed by Head of Oncology and Head of Biotherapeutics at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, then as a Vice-President at Incyte and Sangamo Therapeutics, and Chief Medical Officer at Poseida Therapeutics developing multiple CAR-T cell and gene therapy products. He is currently Chief Development Officer / Chief Medical Officer at Denovo Biopharma. He has also served as a CIRM CAR-T cell principal investigator, NIH / NCI study section, CPRIT grant review panel, biotechnology and pharmaceutical advisory boards, IRB/SRC, and scientific journal editorial review committees related to cancer and gene therapy, as well as authoring numerous scientific papers and patent applications. CAR-T cell, RMAT, Gene Therapy, Gene Editing, AAV, HSV, transposon, hemophilia, Oncology, Hematology, NHL, myeloma, AML, MDS, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, GBM, H&N cancer, sarcoma, ovarian cancer, Oncolytic, Epigenetic, Biomarkers, Companion Diagnostics. Small Molecules, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Immunotherapy, Vaccine, Antibody, Phage Display, sickle-cell, thalassemia, MPS I&II, MEK, PARP, CDK, VEGFR, Angiogenesis, VDA, HDAC, Proteosome, PI3K, BRD, JAK, PIM, FGFR, WT1, lysine-specific demethylase, OTC
Tara	Lehner	Vice President, Clinical Operations	INmune Bio Inc.	https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Tara-Lehner.jpg	Ms. Lehner is Vice President of Clinical Operations at INmune Bio. She has spent over 24 years in the pharmaceutical industry as an employee and consultant working across pharma, biotech, and CROs in Phases I–IV, with a focus on oncology and CNS. She has led long-term strategic partnerships between CROs and pharma and emphasizes the humanness of business relationships. Ms. Lehner holds an MS from the Temple University School of Pharmacy. Tara lives on a ranch in Southern California with her partner and two daughters, ages 7 and 8.

Antonieta Sosa, Carolina Caffaro, David Crean, Elie Arslan, Gajanan Bhat, George Ng, Joseph Shan, Joseph Stalder, Jacqui Blem, Kimberly Ma, Mehran Moghaddam, Matthew Spear, Tara Lehner

Our Past Facilitators

Anthony Maida

Chief Clinical Officer – Translational Medicine Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc.

Dr. Maida is currently Chief Clinical Officer – Translational Medicine for Oncotelic, Inc. focused on the immunotherapy of cancer and infectious disease.  Formerly he was Senior Vice President – Clinical Research for Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc., a cancer vaccine company focused on therapy of patients with glioblastoma multiforme and prostate cancer.  He is responsible for the oversight of the clinical and scientific operations of Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc.  Dr. Maida was formerly Vice President of Clinical Research and General Manager, Oncology, World-wide for PharmaNet, Inc.  Prior to coming to Pharmanet Dr. Maida served as Chairman, Founder and Director of BioConsul Drug Development Corporation and Principal of Anthony Maida Consulting International, servicing pharmaceutical firms, venture capital, hedge funds and Wall Street, in the clinical development of therapeutic products and product/company acquisitions. For 30 years, Dr. Maida has focused on the clinical development of immunotherapies to treat patients with cancer.  Dr. Maida’s skill set includes the execution and oversight of finance, operations, research, and commercial clinical and scientific development, regulatory and manufacturing for the development of various therapeutic modalities.  Dr. Maida has served in a number of executive roles, including, Chairman, CEO, COO, CSO, CFO and business development.  Dr. Maida serves or has served on the advisory board of EndPoint BioCapital, Sdn Bhd (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), and as an advisor, consultant and technical analyst for CMX Capital, LLC, Sagamore Bioventures, Roaring Fork Capital, Toucan Capital, North Sound Capital, The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and Pediatric BioScience, Inc.  Additionally, Dr. Maida has been retained by Abraxis BioScience, Inc., Northwest BioTherapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. (Osaka, Japan). Dr. Maida sat on multiple public company boards and advisory committees.  Dr. Maida holds a B.A. degree in Biology, a B.A. Degree in History, a MBA, a MA in toxicology and a Ph.D. in Immunology.  He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO), the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc) and the American Chemical Society.  Dr. Maida holds a number of patents and patent applications associated with various therapeutic modalities and approaches.

Christie Quarles

Clinical Analytics Product Marketing Manager Revvity Signals

David Crean

Managing Partner & Partner Cardiff Advisory LLC & 1004 Venture Partners

Elie Arslan

Head, Quality, Principal Investigator and Program Management Cellics Therapeutics, Inc.

George Ng

Chief Executive Officer Processa Pharmaceuticals

Glenn Guthrie

Senior Principal Clinical Solutions Strategy Revvity Signals

Jacqui Blem

Vice President, Clinical Operations Wugen

Janal Urich

Vice President, Clinical Operations Atara Biotherapeutics

John Mattison

Former Operating Partner, Chief Medical Information Officer Arsenal Capital Partners

Joseph Shan

Vice President, Clinical Operations Adcentrx Therapeutics

Peter Stiegler

Vice President, Clinical Operations Oncology HUYA Bioscience International

Sandy Wiley

Former Senior Director Nonclinical & Translational Sciences (Department Head) MEI Pharma

Shaun MacEachern

Executive Director, Clinical Supply Chain Kumquat Biosciences Inc.

Tara Lehner

Vice President, Clinical Operations INmune Bio Inc.

Our Agenda

See Which Topics Are Up For Discussion

09:00 – 10:00

Roundtable Tracks

DEI In Patient Recruitment/ Decentralized & Hybrid Trials
Boosting Patient Commitment and Continuity in Clinical Trials Through Effective Engagement Strategies (Topic TBC)

-Tara Lehner
Vice President, Clinical Operations
INmune Bio Inc.

Clinical Technologies & Artificial Intelligence
Monitoring Clinical Trial Progress using KPIs, AI, and Advanced Analytics

-Joseph Stalder
Vice President, Program Management
Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Early Phase, Global Site Selection u0026 Feasibility Study
Leveraging Human-Enabled AI to Optimize Clinical Trial Sites (Topic TBC)

-Antonieta Sosa
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Protagonist Therapeutics

Clinical Supplies, Global Networks, Storage u0026 Distribution
Rethinking Clinical Packaging: From Centralized Batching to Agile, On‑Demand Supply in Modern Trials

-Elie Arslan
Head, Quality, Principal Investigator and Program Management
Cellics Therapeutics, Inc.

Clinical Trials In Oncology
Novel Oncology Modalities: Strategic Opportunities and Challenges in Next‑Gen Cancer Care

-Matthew Spear
Chief Development Officer / Chief Medical Officer
Denovo Biopharma

Private Equity & Venture Capital In Clinical Trials
Portfolio Value Creation Beyond the Check: How Life Sciences VCs Drive Pre-Inflection Success?

-David Crean
Managing Partner & Partner
Cardiff Advisory LLC & 1004 Venture Partners

11:10 – 12:10

Roundtable Tracks

DEI In Patient Recruitment/ Decentralized & Hybrid Trials
Defining Patient-Centricity: What Does It Actually Mean in 2026 and Beyond?

SPONSOR

Clinical Technologies & Artificial Intelligence
Digital-Driven Clinical Trial Design for Improved Outcomes

SPONSOR

Early Phase, Global Site Selection u0026 Feasibility Study
Balancing Risk and Innovation in Early Phase Clinical Trials for New Drug Candidates

SPONSOR

Clinical Supplies, Global Networks, Storage u0026 Distribution
Optimizing Supply Chain Performance and Compliance Through Real-Time Visibility

SPONSOR

Clinical Trials In Oncology
AI in Oncology Trials: Transforming Data into Actionable Insights

SPONSOR

Private Equity & Venture Capital In Clinical Trials
Outsourcing Models that Hold up Under PE and VC Scrutiny

SPONSOR

12:15 – 13:15

Roundtable Tracks

Exploring the Fallout: Navigating the Impact of Recent U.S. DEI Policy Shifts on Clinical Research and What Comes Next

Transforming Clinical Research with Wearables: Trends and Key Challenges (Topic TBC)

-Joseph Shan
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Adcentrx Therapeutics

Speed & Efficiency in Start-Up: Reducing Timelines from Feasibility to First‑Patient‑In (FPI)

-Kimberly Ma
Senior Vice President, Clinical Development & Operations
Abdera Therapeutics

Navigating Regulatory and Logistical Hurdles in Global Clinical Supply Chains

Liquid Biopsies & ctDNA in Solid Tumor Trials: Unlocking Precision, Overcoming Challenges, and Driving Standardization

AI, Data & Digital Tools: What Investors Are Actually Funding? (Topic TBC)

-George Ng
Chief Executive Officer
Processa Pharmaceuticals

13:15 – 14:00

14:40 – 15:10

15:10 – 16:10

Roundtable Tracks

DEI In Patient Recruitment/ Decentralized & Hybrid Trials
Advancing Clinical Research in an Expanding Decentralized Trial Era

Clinical Technologies & Artificial Intelligence
The Digital-First Revolution: Reimagining Clinical Data(Topic TBC)

-Gajanan Bhat
Senior Vice President, Development Team Lead
TORL Biotherapeutics, LLC

Early Phase, Global Site Selection u0026 Feasibility Study
Maximizing Early-Phase Impact: Reducing Clinical Trial Risk from Day One (Topic TBC)

-Joseph Shan
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Adcentrx Therapeutics

Clinical Supplies, Global Networks, Storage u0026 Distribution
Meeting Supply Chain Challenges in Decentralized Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials In Oncology
Exploring the Potential of Digital Twins in Oncology Trials (Topic TBC)

-Mehran Moghaddam
CEO
OROX Biosciences, Inc.

Private Equity & Venture Capital In Clinical Trials
How Investors are Driving Deaner Trial Designs Under Tighter Capital Markets?

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Clinical Trials San Diego

Clinical Operations & Clinical Trial Supply Chain Strategy Meeting West Coast 2024

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Strategy Meeting West Coast USA 2026

<img class="lazy" decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201%201'%3E%3C/svg%3E" data-src="https://proventainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/location.png" >Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Fresh Clinical Operations Insights

What makes our strategy meetings unique?

Roundtable Discussions

Unrivalled Networking

Personalised Agenda

Solutions to your Problems

Industry Researched Topics

Senior Decision Makers

Our Facilitators

Antonieta Sosa

Carolina Caffaro

David Crean

Elie Arslan

Gajanan Bhat

George Ng

Joseph Shan

Joseph Stalder

Jacqui Blem

Kimberly Ma

Mehran Moghaddam

Matthew Spear

Tara Lehner

Our Past Facilitators

Anthony Maida

Christie Quarles

David Crean

Elie Arslan

George Ng

Glenn Guthrie

Jacqui Blem

Janal Urich

John Mattison

Joseph Shan

Peter Stiegler

Sandy Wiley

Shaun MacEachern

Tara Lehner

Our Agenda

See Which Topics Are Up For Discussion

Breakfast & Registration

Opening Keynote Presentation

Roundtable ( Pharma/Biotech )

Roundtable Tracks

Refreshment Break

Networking/1-1 Meetings

Roundtable ( Pharma/Biotech )

Roundtable Tracks

SPONSOR

SPONSOR

SPONSOR

SPONSOR

SPONSOR

SPONSOR

Roundtable

Roundtable Tracks

Networking Lunch

Networking / 1-1 Meetings

Afternoon Keynote Presentation

Roundtable ( Pharma/Biotech )

Roundtable Tracks

Afternoon Refreshment Break

Panel Discussion

Drinks & Canapes Reception

Reasons To Attend Our Strategy Meetings

Fully Interactive Format

Senior Decision Makers

Personalised Agendas

Private and Intimate Networking

Our Sponsor

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego